Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Provisional AMA Superstock Qualifying Results:

1. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:37.434
2. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:37.503
3. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:37.808
4. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.161
5. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:38.585
6. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.628
7. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.848
8. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:39.446
9. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:39.777
10. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:39.865
11. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:40.016
12. Chris Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.017
13. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.039
14. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.327
15. John Haner, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.512
16. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:41.065
17. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:41.277
18. Corey Eaton, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:41.360
19. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:41.382
20. Brian Parriott, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.219
21. David White, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.654
22. Garry Combs, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.991
23. Jason Curtis, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.339
24. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.354
25. Jeremiah Johnson, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.470
26. James King, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:45.185
27. Montez Stewart, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:45.379
28. Ruben Munoz, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:45.834
29. Lash Mullen, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:46.067
30. Peter Doyle, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:46.097
31. Mark Simon, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:46.097
32. David Guy, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:46.312
33. Raul Padilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:47.797

112 percent of fast time: 1:49.126

34. Norbert Katona, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:52.549
35. Tony Cook, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:52.787
36. Rock Carceres, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:53.886
37. Paul Timman, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:02.192
38. John Scott Wilson, Suzuki GSX-R1000, no time
39. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, no time
40. Chris Siglin, Yamaha YZF-R1, no time
41. Jeremy Toye, Yamaha YZF-R1, no time


More, form a press release issued by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki:

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki enjoyed a solid day’s work at Infineon Raceway on Saturday, claiming three top ten qualifying positions. The Saturday performance was particularly impressive considering that the team and their tire partner, Michelin, did not have an opportunity to test at the 2.2-mile circuit beforehand as many of their rivals in the deep AMA field did.

Vincent Haskovec and Steve Rapp posted similar times aboard their Michelin-shod GSX-R750s during Superstock qualifying to claim the ninth and tenth spots on the grid. Haskovec’s 1:39.778 lap time earned him the inside position on the third row, while Rapp’s 1:39.865 will see him alongside his teammate when the two line up for Sunday’s 17-lap contest.

Adding to their optimism heading into Sunday’s final is the fact that the team expects their 750cc machines to shine the brightest when the laps start adding up in the 60K race at the demanding racetrack.

Rapp backed up his Superstock qualifying effort with a top ten result aboard his GSX-R600 in the Supersport class. The California posted a best time of 1:40.940 to claim the same tenth place, third row grid position he took during the Superstock session.

Impressive youngster Chris Peris finished the day with a 13th place Supersport qualifying position, circulating the Northern Californian circuit in 1:41.323.

Haskovec also cemented his position as a podium favorite for Sunday’s Formula Xtreme race, running near the top of the charts in today’s free practice after qualifying third fastest on Friday. Vincent’s time of 1:40.690 was the third quickest timed lap in the session.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

CASTROL SUZUKI ON CHINA POLE

Vincent Philippe put the Suzuki Castrol GSX-R1000 onto pole position for tomorrow’s World Endurance Championship second round, the Zhuhai 6 Hour race in China, ahead of Yamaha GMT94. And the SERT Suzuki team thinks that tomorrow’s race will be very fast. Said Philippe: “It will be a big fight with Yamaha GMT94. I don’t think the temperature will be a problem for the riders or the bike as we have tested for two days now without problems. The Chinese riders are very good and if they had a bike as good as our Suzuki, they would be just as fast.”

Team mate Olivier Four said: “Warwick Nowland has won a race on our bike and so we know that Zongshen Suzuki will be a good opponent.”

Most riders set their best times in the first qualifying session in the morning when track temperatures were slightly cooler and grip was better. This afternoon’s session times were slower, but are probably more representative of the race tomorrow.

Yamaha GMT94 were very slightly faster than Suzuki Castrol in the afternoon but the Suzuki team are expected to need fewer fuel stops. The race is also expected to be tough on riders and machines, with a combination of heavy braking and hard acceleration likely to take its toll.

Provisional Top Ten Qualifying Positions:

1st : Suzuki Castrol, FRA (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – V.Phillipe – 1:35.067.

2nd: Yamaha GMT94, FRA (Yamaha YZF-R1) – D.Checa – 1:36.299.

3rd: Yamaha Endurance Moto 38, FRA (Yamaha YZF-R1) – G.Giabbani – 1:36.522.

4th: Suzuki Zongshen 81, CHN (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Stephane Mertens – 1:36.635.

5th: WRT Honda Austria , AUT (Honda CBR1000RR) – Robert Ulm – 1:37.162.

6th: Suzuki Zongshen 19, CHN (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – Piergiorgio Bontempi – 1:37.224.

7th: Yamaha Phase One Endurance, GBR (Yamaha YZF-R1) – Steve Brogan – 1:37.801.

8th: Yamaha Austria Racing Team, AUT (Yamaha YZF-R1) – T. Hinterreiter – 1:38.071.

9th: Kawasaki Bolliger, SUI (Kawasaki ZX10R) – Laurent Brian – 1:38.283.

10th: Kawasaki Diablo, GBR (Kawasaki ZX10R) – Mike Edwards – 1:38.879.


More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group:

Vincent Philippe has put the Suzuki Castrol GSX-R1000 onto pole position for tomorrow’s Zhuhai 6 Hour race. He did not improve on his time set in this morning’s session. Yamaha GMT94 are second, and Yamaha Endurance Moto38 are third. Suzuki Castrol’s riders think that tomorrow’s race will be very fast. Vincent Philippe: “It will be a big fight with Yamaha GMT94. I don’t think the temperature will be a problem for the riders or the bike – we have tested for two days now without problems. The Chinese riders are very good – if they had a bike as good as our Suzuki they would be just as fast.” Olivier Four continues: “Warwick Nowland has won a race on our bike, and so we know that Zongshen will be a good opponent.”

Most riders set their best times in the first qualifying session, when track temperatures were slightly cooler and grip was better. This afternoon’s session times were slower, but are probably more representative of the race tomorrow. Yamaha GMT94 were very slightly faster than Suzuki Castrol in the afternoon, but the Suzuki team are expected to need fewer fuel stops. The race is also expected to be tough on riders and machines, with a combination of heavy braking and hard acceleration likely to take its toll.

Kawasaki Bolliger had a suspected main or big-end bearing failure this afternoon which has forced them to remove and strip the engine on their ZX10R; they managed to hold onto their ninth place on the grid as very few riders were able to improve on their first session times. Two of those who did improve were Thomas Hinterreiter for Yamaha Austria and Steve Brogan for Yamaha Phase One.

Provisional Top Ten Qualifying Positions

1st 3: Suzuki Castrol – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – V.Phillipe – 1:35.067

2nd 94: Yamaha GMT94 – FRA – Yamaha YZF-R1 – D.Checa – 1:36.299

3rd 38: Yamaha Endurance Moto 38 – FRA – Yamaha YZF-R1 – G.Giabbani 1:36.522

4th 81: Suzuki Zongshen 81 – CHN – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Stephane Mertens – 1:36.635

5th 5: WRT Honda Austria – AUT – Honda CBR1000RR – Robert Ulm – 1:37.162

6th 19: Suzuki Zongshen 19 – CHN – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Piergiorgio Bontempi – 1:37.224

7th 1: Yamaha Phase One Endurance – GBR – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Steve Brogan – 1:37.801

8th 7: Yamaha Austria Racing Team – AUT– Yamaha YZF-R1 – T. Hinterreiter – 1:38.071

9th 8: Kawasaki Bolliger – SUI – Kawasaki ZX10R – Laurent Brian – 1:38.283

10th 666: Kawasaki Diablo – GBR – Kawasaki ZX10R – Mike Edwards – 1:38.879

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday’s 250cc GP Qualifying Times:

1. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:45.599
2. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:45.761
3. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:45.788
4. Toni ELIAS, Honda, 1:45.836
5. Fonsi NIETO, Aprilia, 1:45.932
6. Roberto ROLFO, Honda, 1:45.940
7. Anthony WEST, Aprilia, 1:46.075
8. Naoki MATSUDO, Yamaha, 1:46.657
9. Manuel POGGIALI, Aprilia, 1:46.675
10. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:46.686
11. Alex DEBON, Honda, 1:46.839
12. Franco BATTAINI, Aprilia, 1:47.023
13. Arnaud VINCENT, Aprilia, 1:47.272
14. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 1:47.287
15. Alex BALDOLINI, Aprilia, 1:47.411
16. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:47.586
17. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, 1:47.831
18. Alvaro MOLINA, Aprilia, 1:48.048
19. Eric BATAILLE, Honda, 1:48.126
20. Dirk HEIDOLF, Aprilia, 1:48.165


Final Combined 250cc GP Qualifying Results:

1. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:43.673
2. Manuel POGGIALI, Aprilia, 1:44.054
3. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:44.163
4. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:44.196
5. Roberto ROLFO, Honda, 1:44.716
6. Toni ELIAS, Honda, 1:44.989
7. Fonsi NIETO, Aprilia, 1:45.222
8. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:45.258
9. Franco BATTAINI, Aprilia, 1:45.652
10. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:45.822
11. Hector FAUBEL, Aprilia, 1:45.976
12. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 1:45.991
13. Anthony WEST, Aprilia, 1:46.075
14. Joan OLIVE, Aprilia, 1:46.311
15. Alex DEBON, Honda, 1:46.429
16. Eric BATAILLE, Honda, 1:46.514
17. Chaz DAVIES, Aprilia, 1:46.575
18. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, 1:46.614
19. Naoki MATSUDO, Yamaha, 1:46.657
20. Hugo MARCHAND, Aprilia, 1:46.966

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Morning Practice Times:

MotoGP:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:53.170
2. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 1:53.205
3. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:54.014
4. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:54.155
5. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, 1:54.525
6. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:55.116
7. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 1:55.126
8. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:55.464
9. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 1:55.529
10. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, 1:55.592
11. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:55.795
12. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:56.094
13. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:56.352
14. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 1:56.458
15. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:57.013
16. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:57.523
17. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 1:57.713
18. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:57.895
19. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:57.974
20. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:58.435
21. Chris BURNS, Harris WCM, 1:58.583
22. Kurtis ROBERTS, Proton, 2:00.282
23. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 2:00.906
24. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 2:05.620

Crashes: Xaus (twice), McWilliams


250cc GP:

1. Anthony WEST, Aprilia, 1:55.683
2. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:56.333
3. Roberto ROLFO, Honda, 1:56.543
4. Franco BATTAINI, Aprilia, 1:56.550
5. Naoki MATSUDO, Yamaha, 1:56.862
6. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:56.937
7. Arnaud VINCENT, Aprilia, 1:57.201
8. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 1:57.210
9. Fonsi NIETO, Aprilia, 1:57.582
10. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:57.599
11. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:57.698
12. Manuel POGGIALI, Aprilia, 1:57.781
13. Taro SEKIGUCHI, Yamaha, 1:57.993
14. Alex DEBON, Honda, 1:58.136
15. Eric BATAILLE, Honda, 1:58.242
16. Dirk HEIDOLF, Aprilia, 1:58.465
17. Gregory LEFORT, Aprilia, 1:58.489
18. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:58.750
19. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, 1:58.890
20. Alvaro MOLINA, Aprilia, 1:59.251


125cc GP:

1. Hector BARBERA, Aprilia, 1:58.495
2. Casey STONER, KTM, 2:00.401
3. Mike DI MEGLIO, Aprilia, 2:00.619
4. Simone CORSI, Honda, 2:00.728
5. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Aprilia, 2:01.030
6. Mattia PASINI, Aprilia, 2:01.168
7. Andrea BALLERINI, Aprilia, 2:01.751
8. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 2:01.848
9. Lukas PESEK, Honda, 2:01.909
10. Gabor TALMACSI, Malaguti, 2:02.309
11. Steve JENKNER, Aprilia, 2:02.436
12. Roberto LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 2:02.516
13. Manuel HERNANDEZ, Aprilia, 2:02.745
14. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 2:02.758
15. Thomas LUTHI, Honda, 2:02.781

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin took provisional pole position for the AMA Superbike double-header event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California during qualifying Friday.

Riding with a Dunlop qualifying tire on his GSX-R1000, Mladin set a new lap record time for the 2.2-mile, 11-turn course at 1:36.917, which was only marginally quicker than the four-time Champion’s best race-tire lap time from Friday afternoon practice (1:36.997).

“We put our qualifying tire on there at the end, but I got held up by some guys in a few corners,” a relaxed-looking Mladin told reporters. “Things on the race tire are going good. At this stage the bike feels really good.”

American Honda’s Ben Bostrom jumped from fifth-fastest in Friday afternoon’s practice session to second in timed qualifying with a time of 1:37.498 on his factory CBR1000RR, better than the 1:38.274 he turned in practice.

Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke held the top qualifying spot momentarily with his best lap, a 1:37.511, but was quickly demoted to the third spot on the provisional grid by Mladin and Bostrom late in the 30-minute session.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates, second-fastest through most of Friday practice, qualified fourth with a 1:38.012. “We put the qualifying tire on, and we had a good lap going but got trapped behind a rider in turn seven and through the esses,” Yates told reporters.

Complaining of a very bad chatter problem, Miguel Duhamel qualified fifth with a 1:38.495, which was slower than Duhamel’s Formula Xtreme (600cc) pole position time of 1:38.133.

Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin’s Eric Bostrom improved his Superbike’s set-up from practice to qualifying but not enough. He qualified sixth with a 1:38.516, his best time of the day, on his Michelin-equipped 999F04.

Riding in pain from a highside crash earlier Friday, Attack Kawasaki’s Josh Hayes was seventh-fastest with a 1:39.316 on his factory-supported ZX-10R.

Triangle Cycle’s Yamaha’s Larry Pegram spent most of Friday dialing in a new set of Ohlins forks on his Pirelli-shod YZF-R1 and came away with the eighth-fastest qualifying time, 1:40.003.

Suzuki Superbike privateers Chris Caylor (1:40.213) and Geoff May (1:40.252) rounded out Friday’s top 10 qualifiers.

AMA Superbike final qualifying takes place Saturday morning at Infineon Raceway.



Friday’s Provisional AMA Superbike Qualifying Results:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:36.917
2. Ben Bostrom, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:37.498
3. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:37.511
4. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:38.012
5. Miguel Duhamel, honda CBR1000RR, 1:38.495
6. Eric Bostrom, Ducati 999F04, 1:38.516
7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:39.310
8. Larry Pegram, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:40.003
9. Chris Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.213
10. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.252
11. Steve Crevier, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.444
12. Dave Stanton, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.492
13. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.898
14. Ken Hill, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:41.242
15. Clint McBain, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:41.382
16. John Haner, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:41.740
17. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:42.045
18. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:42.108
19. Jeff Williams, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:42.286
20. Mark Foster, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:42.357
21. Robert Christman, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:42.438
22. James Randolph, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:42.558
23. Andrew Nelson, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:42.696
24. Scott Jensen, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:42.906
25. Robert Mesa, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.007
26. Jeremy Toye, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:43.081
27. Brien Whitlock, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.169
28. Jack Pfeifer, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:43.353
29. David Bell, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.444
30. Craig Connell, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.539
31. Garry Combs, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.562
32. Cory West, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.722
33. Tom Montano, Ducati 998S, 1:43.790
34. Kim Nakashima, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:43.835
35. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.028
36. Jason Curtis, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.455
37. John Wilson, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.650
38. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.816
39. Jeremiah Johnson, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.902
40. Kevin Hanson, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.970
41. James King, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:45.328
42. Kenyon Kluge, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:46.029
43. Mike Krynock, Ducati 999R, 1:46.286
44. Chris Siglin, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:48.992


More, from a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

Mladin Takes Provisional Pole for Kawasaki Superbike Showdown

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) — Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin continued his recent dominance of Infineon Raceway on Friday by capturing the provisional pole for the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown weekend.

Mladin, a four-time AMA Chevrolet Superbike champion, turned the 12-turn, 2.2-mile road course in 1:36.916. The time was a new track record on the reconfigured road course. Ben Bostrom (Honda) was second at 1:37.498, with Jake Zemke (Honda) third at 1:37.511.

Mladin is a three-time Superbike winner at Infineon Raceway, including a sweep of last year’s doubleheader in the Sonoma Valley. This weekend will also feature a doubleheader, with Saturday’s 98 Rock Superbike Challenge (3:40 p.m.) and Sunday’s Supercuts Superbike Challenge (2 p.m.). Both main events will span 28 laps.

“Some of the guys may do better in the race than they did in practice and qualifying,” Mladin said. “Hopefully none of them will do better but we’ll see. It would be nice to get another couple of wins. Everything is feeling good for us right now and I can’t control what they do.”

Bostrom, a Petaluma native, made a late charge, moving to second in provisional qualifying but it wasn’t enough to catch the high-flying Mladin.

“All day long we were testing a new compound for the tires,” Bostrom said. “Just when I thought I had a hot lap I’d run into traffic. But the last lap I turned (1:37.498) it was a combination of free lap and a softer time.”

Honda’s Miguel Duhamel, meanwhile, captured the pole in the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme class with a run of 1:38.132. Duhamel won the first two Formula Xtreme events of the year in Daytona and Fontana (Calif.), but this marks his first pole position of the season. He is seeking his first Formula Xtreme championship at Infineon Raceway. The 17-lap Formula Xtreme feature will take place on Sunday.

Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown

SONOMA, Calif. (April 30, 2004) – Following are the top 10 provisional qualifiers for the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown doubleheader at Infineon Raceway, May 1-2.

Saturday’s 98 Rock Superbike Challenge race is set for 3:40 p.m. PST and will be followed by the Supercuts Superbike Challenge on Sunday at 2 p.m. PST. Final starting positions will be determined during qualifying on Saturday beginning at 10:30 a.m.:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:36.916
2. Ben Bostrom, Honda CBR1000R, 1:37.498
3. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR1000R, 1:37.511
4. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:38.012
5. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR1000R, 1:38.495
6. Eric Bostrom, Ducati 999R, 1:39.046
7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:39.490
8. Larry Pegram, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:40.003
9. Opie Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.213
10. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.252


More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

MLADIN LEADS THE WAY WITH FASTEST TIME DURING AMERICAN SUPERBIKE QUALIFYING AT INFINEON RACEWAY

Sonoma, California, USA – Friday, April 30: Four times American Superbike champion Mat Mladin smashed the Infineon Raceway Superbike lap record on his way to grabbing provisional pole position for this weekend’s double-header American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship round after today’s opening qualifying session.

Mladin blasted his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 around the 2.2 miles (3.54km) 11-turn circuit, stopping the clocks with a time of 1:36.917, over half a second quicker that his nearest rival, Honda’s Ben Bostrom (1:37.498). Fellow Honda rider Jake Zemke was fractionally slower, setting the third fastest time of 1:37.511, ahead of Mladin’s teammate Aaron Yates (1:38.012).

Mladin led both of the morning’s free practice sessions, before topping the leader board in the first of the two official qualifying sessions for this weekend’s round.

“The first session we were a little bit stale and things weren’t going how I would have liked, but the second session saw us start to get into the groove and it felt good,” said Mladin.

“We worked on race set up and tyre selection for much of the day, but when we did put a softer qualifying tyre at the end of the session we didn’t do such a good job with it. I got baulked once while I was out there on my fast lap but we still did a good job with it and came away with the fast time.”

“Things are looking alright at the moment. We have another 40-minute session tomorrow morning before the first of the two races and we should be able to confirm a few more things in that session.”

The competitive nature of this year’s manufacturers has seen the intense rivalry between the riders and teams being matched by that of the tyre manufacturers. Yoshimura Suzuki’s tyre supplier Dunlop, have been working extremely hard over the past 12 months, developing tyres to suit the needs of the modern day crop of Superbikes and arrived at Infineon Raceway this weekend with yet another transporter full of new race rubber for their supported teams to evaluate.

A firm believer of continued development with both the motorcycle and tyres, Mladin relishes the opportunity to test new parts, including tyres.

“Dunlop have a whole bunch of new stuff for us to look at and we’re running through them now. There’s a lot of new stuff for both the front and rear for everyone to choose from. They (Dunlop) have obviously been under a bit of pressure in the past few months both with their own tyres and from the added tyre competition this year, so it’s great to see them respond in such a positive manner. It seems that every race this year Dunlop have some new tyres for us to test, which is great to see and how it really should be.”

The Australian rider arrived at Sonoma, north of San Francisco being undefeated in the three Superbike nationals held this year and holds a 24-point lead over Zemke on the championship points table.

Having won both corresponding races last year, Mladin will be aiming to emulate that feat and further build to his points tally as he chases an unprecedented fifth national title.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

BOSTROM ON PROVISIONAL 2ND ROW AS DUCATI 999 MAKES INFINEON RACEWAY DEBUT

Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin’s Eric Bostrom piloted the Ducati 999 to a creditable sixth position on its first-ever practice and qualifying sessions at a sunny Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. The 27-year-old Las Vegas rider spent much of the half-hour session on the provisional front row in fourth position before finishing up in sixth.

“We were slow this morning and even though that can be discouraging, it’s really more encouraging how far we’ve come,” said Bostrom. “At first we had the bike set up too soft and I couldn’t get any feel. In the afternoon we made big gains on the set-up to where it now wants to stay pointing through the turns. These changes gave me a lot more feel with the Michelins and I made up a second and half on the race tires from this morning’s practice time – I’m pretty sure we can make up that much more time again tomorrow.

“This is a new experience for me on the Ducati because it’s a track where it’s just corner after corner after corner. The new surface is also something I’m getting used to. I feel pretty good about tomorrow, though. There’s a lot going on but we’re really getting it sorted out.”

“It’s the first time we’ve been here and our goal is to find a good race set-up and also to pick out the right tire,” explained Technical Engineer Ernesto Marinelli. “Qualifying isn’t a concern for us; we didn’t use a qualifying tire since our complete focus is on the race. This is a challenging race track for a set-up because of the dips so you need a very particular set-up here. Something that works here won’t work anywhere else. We’re just going to go step by step and make improvements every time we go out.”

Final qualifying concludes tomorrow morning with race 1 (100km – 28 laps) of the weekend doubleheader taking place in the afternoon.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Rider Press Conference
Infineon Raceway
Sonoma, CA
April 28, 2004
11:37 a.m. to 12:06 p.m.

By Bob Dragich

Infineon hosted a press conference in anticipation of the AMA Superbike race to take place at the track this weekend. In attendance were American Honda’s Ben Bostrom, Ducati Austin’s Eric Bostrom, Attack Kawasaki’s Tony Meiring and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies. Here are some highlights:

Tony Meiring on . . .

The new track surface: “I definitely think it’s a lot better now that it’s repaved. It’s a lot smoother. There are more opportunities to pass, like going into the Carousel, or get them in turn seven. The only thing is in turn one, because of the bank on the outside. It would be nice to run the old turn one.”

Competing if it gets warm: “I’m 20 years old, so I like the heat. I’d rather have it 100 degrees. But this track is very demanding; you don’t have any resting points. Here’ it’s fun because the winner is going to be the guy who’s in the best shape and who has the best package together with his bike.”

Ben Bostrom on. . .

The track improvements: “This place is number one in my book as far as listening to the riders and drivers. They’ve done a lot of things we asked for and actually gone beyond that. The track is glass-smooth right now, but it’s really hard on tires. It’s a lot safer now. There were a lot of corners where it was sketchy to go 110% but now you just roll through them. There’s going to be a lot more passing going on.”

Getting along with the 1000RR: “The bike stood a great chance of winning Daytona, and then we had just one little malfunction. In Fontana, it probably could have won, but the rider had a malfunction. I was way off the pace. Not to worry; Big Red’s coming.”

The horsepower fallacy: “They say that this track is a great equalizer, that you don’t really need that much horsepower, but you do. There are some hills to climb. But the guy who’s got his bike set up or is physically in shape, he’s going to win. There are six factory Superbike guys here, and everyone’s going to be on pace. It should be one of the best races of the year.”

Sharing information with his brother, Eric, who rides for a competing team but hasn’t tested the Ducati at Infineon yet. “No.”

Who got hurt more: “Not testing here really hurt Michelin, which, in turn, hurts Eric.”

Mat Mladin: “He’s always on a tear. He’s got a good setup, he’s got a good team, a good bike and he’s been doing it for a lot of years. He’s dialed in. I think he works pretty hard at it; he’s got a good work ethic. He’s fast here. Fontana is number one for him, and I think here is number two. But there comes a point when you think, ‘I’ve got a nice points lead; don’t crash now,” and he’s going to start thinking that.”

Qualifying times: “When I first came here in 1995, you could put on a qualifying tire and get two seconds, but now the track is so grippy, I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I think race tire time will be close to qualifying times. You can drop a little with a Q, but not that much.”

Why tire wear will be a concern: “When you lay down a new surface, it’s like when you go to the hardware store and buy a brand new sheet of sand paper. The sand’s new and it just wears things down. But when you use it, it’s just like the cars going over the pavement, you wear down the sand a little bit. It will be slippier (as time goes on), but it won’t wear down the tires (as much).”

Eric Bostrom on. . .

Scheduling: “We always try to maximize our time on the track, but it always seems that we run out of time and we have to deal with it. We’re always wishing that we had one more practice session or one more qualifying session.”

Lack of testing: “Michelin’s got great tires and they’re used to coming to tracks like this that are twisty.”

Setup vs. testing tires: “We always try to get the bike setup halfway close (to optimal) in the first 20 minutes and from there we start looking at tires. Until we can get to some tracks and test before we come back to those same tracks, that will be our game plan.”

Setting up the Ducati: “The bike’s got a real comfortable window, and we always seem to be inside that. I haven’t figured out how to get the very last ounce out of the bike yet, but that will come with just a little more time and me getting familiar with the tires and the whole package. Here I hope to get between 80 and 90% and let the tires do the rest.”

The Gray Zone: “It used to be that it was foolish to try to set up a pass at this track where you had to extend the envelope and go into that gray zone where you don’t know what’s going to happen. Now you’ll be able to do that, and the fans will get their money’s worth, and the riders will enjoy it a lot more.”

Heat-oriented strategy: “If it’s hot, and you can get out there and set your own pace and let the race come to you, then you can keep physically under control. But if you’re out there riding 110% and pushing for every ten thousandth of a second, it’s really easy to put yourself in a physical deficit the way Anthony Gobert did in 1991 when he won the race but couldn’t make it to the podium.”

The AMA never going back to Daytona: “We can only pray.”

Ben Spies on. . .

Greater opportunities: “There are probably seven more places to pass now that they repaved it.”

The Superstock competition: “We tested at Barber and we were the fastest there. My bike’s got the best base package; it’s always going to work pretty good. I don’t think we have a hold on the class because all the (other) bikes are new and they’re just going to keep working on them, developing them and they’re going to be catching up. Winning the championship won’t be as easy as last year.”

Sharing information with teammates Mat Mladin and Aaron Yates, who are on Superbikes: “The information doesn’t apply. Those bikes are totally different.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s MotoGP Qualifying Results From The Spanish Grand Prix:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:40.818
2. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:41.198
3. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:41.427
4. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:41.546
5. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:41.631
6. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:41.645
7. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:41.911
8. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 1:42.000
9. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:42.141
10. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:42.312
11. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 1:42.479
12. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 1:42.945
13. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:42.954
14. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:43.004
15. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:43.008
16. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, 1:43.024
17. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 1:43.349
18. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 1:43.627
19. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 1:43.730
20. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:44.058
21. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 1:44.536
22. Kurtis ROBERTS, Proton, 1:45.899

Not qualified (Out 107%) 1:47.875

23. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, 1:48.485
24. Chris BURNS, Harris WCM, 1:48.602